Mobile Newsroom at the Dispatch in transit from Northland to Driving Park
Good morning from the Northland Mobile Newsroom, the Dispatch’s traveling effort to base more reporters in the community and report more fully on underrepresented neighborhoods.
For the last month, reporters Holly Zachariah and Micah Walker have been working out of the Columbus Metropolitan Library Karl Road branch in the Northland neighborhood. More than a dozen articles focused on that area have been published as a result of their work so far, and more are on the way.
It’s been a real team effort, as a number of staff photographers, videographers and reporters have pitched in. One of my favorite moments there was helping out on a story highlighting traditional meals served at the neighborhood’s many international restaurants. Dispatch reporters volunteered to eat our way through Northland –– you don’t have to ask me twice –– and learn more about different cuisines.
My dear friend Keji told me months ago that one of her favorite spots in Columbus is Wycliff’s Kitchen, a Kenyan restaurant just off Cleveland Avenue. So when this story idea came up, I asked her to join me for lunch.
The late afternoon light glowed off the restaurant’s warm yellow and orange walls. We ate hefty portions of karanga mbuzi, a bone-in goat stew that is a staple in Kenyan kitchens, and we caught up, talked about her family in Kenya and her post-college graduation plans. I could’ve sat there all day –– but stories don’t write themselves, you know!
Next up, we’re heading to Driving Park. Reporters Mark Ferenchik and Erica Thompson will set up shop at the library branch at 1422 E. Livington Ave. beginning Dec. 13. You can join us for the kickoff event on Dec. 8 at 5 p.m.
As our time in Northland draws to a close, we will still have our eyes on the neighborhood even if we aren’t physically stationed there. In fact, I’m certain that our new friends in Northland will continue to keep us in the know, as evidenced by an interaction Holly had at the library on Tuesday.
I’ll let her tell you the whole story over on Twitter, but in short: An older gentleman was waiting for Holly at the library Tuesday morning with a bulleted list of issues he had with journalism these days.
They talked for nearly an hour: sharing grievances, explaining our business, and most importantly, listening to each other. They got to know each other, and, hopefully, the next time he opens his Sunday Dispatch, he’ll see Holly’s name and remember the woman behind the byline.
“THIS is what the mobile newsroom is about,” Holly wrote.
Here are some of the stories written recently out of the Northland Mobile Newsroom that we’re proud to share:
Northland resident reminisces about childhood on Louis Bromfield’s Malabar Farm
It was a crisp, sunny November morning when Lavata Williams returned home.
The petite 88-year-old walked the path to the front door of an expansive white house as birds chirped and a rooster crowed in the background.
Upon entering the foyer, Williams looks around at the hardwood floors, and the red and white furniture that matched the red carpet on the double staircase. Williams especially noted the white wallpaper decorated with wreaths.
“This looks like the same wallpaper because … I mean, I can’t believe this wallpaper looks this good.
“It’s unbelievable how nothing’s changed,” she said. “So, you can see why for me it’s like coming back to my childhood.”
Bra drive teaches life lessons to Beechcroft students
Standing in the back of the sanctuary at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Alese Mcnair grabbed the pink measuring tape that she had draped over her shoulders and stretched it around the torso of the woman standing in front of her.
“We’re just gonna figure out your size,” the 17-year-old told Patience Dohnwana with a smile. “We’ve got you.”
And after the measuring was finished, Mcnair and Saraia Fisher — both seniors at Beechcroft High School, which sits just across the street from the United Methodist Church at 6176 Sharon Woods Blvd. — walked Dohnwana through the space that had been transformed into a popup boutique of sorts and helped her sort through some of the plastic bins that held more than 400 bras.
How Northland’s Global Mall became a landmark for Columbus’ Somali community
Upon first glance, Global Market looks like any other grocery store in Columbus.
Boxes of Cheerios, Froot Loops and pancake mix line the shelves of one aisle. Another features Colgate toothpaste and Dove soap.
But there also are international brands sprinkled throughout — Al Khaleej dates, Baraka melon seeds and Jango mango juice.
The market is part of the Global Mall in the Northland neighborhood, and it has become a destination for the city’s Somali and immigrant communities since opening in 2002.
Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for the Columbus Dispatch. You can reach her at shendrix@dispatch.com and follow her on Twitter at @sheridan120.